Dry cleaning of cellulose acetate fabrics with a fading inhibitor in the solvent



United rates DRY CLEANING OF CELLULOSE ACETATE FABRICS WITH A FADING ITOR IN THE SOLVENT Application December 12, 1951, Serial No. 261,384

No Drawing.

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of fabric materials and relates more particularly to the dry cleaning of dyed fabric materials made of or containing yarns or filaments having a basis of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose materials whereby an improved resistance to gas fading is imparted thereto simultaneously with the cleaning operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a process for the treatment of dyed cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose textile materials during dry-cleaning operations so that said textile materials will be rendered resistant to gas fading.

Another object of this invention is the provision of modified dry-cleaning solvent compositions adapted to be utilized for the dry-cleaning of dyed textile materials made of or containing yarns or filaments having a basis of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose and for the simultaneous protection of said dyed materials against gas fading.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The gas fading of dyed textile materials is a problem which is encountered primarily in connection with cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose textile materials dyed in certain blue shades with anthraquinone dyestuffs although it is also experienced with other dyed textile materials. The development and application of gas fading inhibiting agents, as well as dyestuffs of structures especially resistant to changes which result in gas fading, have partially lessened the acuteness of the problem. However, the problem of gas fading can by no means be considered adequately and satisfactorily solved. With respect to the use of inhibiting agents, difficulties such as discoloration and changes in shade are encountered and the lack of substantivity makes them useful to only a limited extent when the inhibiting agents are applied in the usual Way. Furthermore, many inhibiting agents are satisfactory only when applied by specific dispersion methods which must be employed as a separate and distinct step if suitable protection of the dyed materials is to be attained. Separate treatments which increase the cost are economically disadvantageous.

We have now found that the application of gas fading inhibitors to textile materials may be carried out in a convenient and effective manner and optimum protection assured if the gas fading inhibitor is applied during dry cleaning operations in solution in the dry cleaning solvent employed. A dual effect is thus achieved; the garment or other textile article is not only cleaned but is protected against gas fading at the same time.

To carry out our novel process, the gas fading inhibitor may be dissolved in a dry cleaning solvent such as perchlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride or Stoddard solvent in an amount sufdcient to yield a 0.2 to by weight solution and, after the dry cleaning operation has been completed and the major part of the solvent removed, the evaporation of the remainder results in the inhibitor being left behind in a uniformly distributed manner on the dry cleaned textile articles. A uniform degree of protection is thus assured. The amount of inhibitor applied in this manner may readily be varied by varying the concentration of inhibitor in the dry cleaning solvent.

In carrying out this improved process, optimum results are obtained when applying Z-amino-l-butanol as the gas fading inhibiting agent from solution in the dry cleaning solvent. Desirable results are also obtained when methyldiethanolamine and diethyl-ethanolamine, are employed. Of course, the inhibiting agent should be non-volatile under ordinary atmospheric conditions so that the protective effect is not lost due to volatilization after treatment has been completed and the residual dry cleaning solvent removed.

The advantageous results obtained employing the above compounds as acid fading inhibiting agents and in the manner described is quite surprising since many compounds of analogous structure are of little or no value when similarly applied.

In order further to illustrate the novel process of our invention, the following examples are given:

Example I A cellulose acetate textile material is dyed in a blue shade with the dyestutf l-methylamino-2-carbamido-4-isopropylamino-anthraquinone. The dyed fabric is then subjected to a dry cleaning operation with a 2% by weight solution of Z-amino-l-butanol in carbon tetrachloride, the operation being conducted so that about 1.5% of inhibitor on the weight of the fabric remains behind and is uniformly deposited thereon after the cleaning operation. On exposure of the treated fabric to one unit of exposure in accordance with the standard A. A. T. C. C. test for gas fading, no change in shade is observed. Untreated dyed fabric undergoes a marked change in shade after one unit of exposure.

A similar result is obtained when employing said inhibitor in perchlorethylene solution.

Example 11 A cellulose acetate textile material is dyed in a blue shade with the dyestutf l-methylamino-2-carbamido-4-isopropylan'lino-anthraquinone. The dyed fabric is then subjected to a dry cleaning operation with a 2% by weight solution of methyl-diethanolamine in perchlorethylene, the operation being conducted so that about 1.5% of inhibitor on the weight of the fabric remains behind and is uniformly deposited thereon after the cieaning operation. On exposure of the treated fabric to one unit of exposure in accordance with the standard A. A. T. C. C. test for gas fading, no change in shade is observed. Untreated dyed fabric undergoes a marked change in shade after one unit of exposure. A similar result is obtained employing diethylethanolarnine in perchlorethylene.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed de scription is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a process for the treatment of garments made of dyed cellulose acetate textile materials whereby said materials are simultaneously dry cleaned and protected against gas fading, the steps which comprise subjecting said garment to a dry-cleaning operation employing a solution of a gas fading inhibiting agent, selected from the group consisting of Z-arnino-l-butanol, methyldiethanolamine and diethyl-ethanolamine, in a dry-cleaning solvent for said operation, said solvent being selected from the group consisting of perchlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride and Stoddard solvent, removing essentially all of 3 the dry-cleaning solventsolntion and evaporating the remainder whereby said gas fading inhibiting agent is left substantially uniformly distributed over said garment. l2. Process as set forth in claim 1 in which the solvent is perchlorethylene.

8. Erocess as .set forth in claim 1 in which fiaidiQllltion comprises a 2% solution of diethyl-ethanolamine in perchlorethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,119 Ellis Oct. 15, 1935 2,409,325 Ward Oct. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,841 Great Britain -Dec. 10, 1925 558,784 Great Britain Jan. 20, 1944 

1. IN A PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GRAMENTS MADE OF DYED CELLULOSE ACETATE TEXTILE MATERIALS WHEREBY SAID MATERIALS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY DRY CLEANED AND PROTECTED AGAINST GAS FADING, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE SUBJECTING SAID GARMENT TO A DRY-CLEANING OPERATION EMPLOYING A SOLUTION OF A GAS FADING INHIBITING AGENT, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 2-AMINO-1-BUTANOL, METHYLDIETHANOLAMINE AND DIETHYL-ETHANOLAMINE, IN A DRY-CLEANING SOLVENT FOR SAID OPERATION, SAID SOLVENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PERCHLORETHYLENE, CARBON TETRACHLORIDE AND STODDARD SOLVENT, REMOVING ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE DRY-CLEANING SOLVENT SOLUTION AND EVAPORATING THE REMAINDER WHEREBY SAID GAS FADING INHIBITING AGENT IS LEFT SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED OVER SAID GARMENT. 